Heat is on for ice cream sellers

Ice cream was being sold as fast as it was made in a Portadown outlet yesterday as temperatures soared outside.

Speaking in a packed ice cream shop in Portadown – Dolce and Gelato on West Street – Elaine Robinson said: “The sale of ice cream this week alone has been unreal.”

As customers continued to pack into the shop, Ms Robinson said: “I serve out the ice cream here. I don’t make it but our boss Barbara makes it. And as soon as they have it made we are selling it out here.”

While customers enjoy a wide range of flavours of ice cream, Ms Robinson said the firm favourite “would still be honeycomb”.

“Other popular ones are hazelnut, strawberry, raspberry and many more.”

And it was no different on the Lisburn Road in Belfast where Barnams World of Ice Cream experienced “the busiest day we have had since the heatwave last year”.

Waitress Morgan McKenna, who has been on duty all week, said: “Today has been the busiest. We have not been selling coffees as such, just ice creams and sundaes.

“There has been a constant stream of customers who have usually chosen to sit outside or take their ice cream over to the park in the sunshine.”

She said, as in Portadown, the favourite ice cream remained honeycomb. “And some are getting flakes because they are in good spirits,” she said. “People are in good form, a lot happier I think with the weather. All ages have been buying ice cream today from elderly couples to kids.”

Meanwhile, ice cream emporiums in Portstewart and Portrush were also packed with customers – staff there were selling so much ice cream, they were “too busy” to talk to the News Letter.